The Latest: Pilots: Controllers effectively redirected jet

SAN FRANCISCO – The Latest on the investigation into a plane that nearly landed on an occupied runway at San Francisco airport (all times local):

12:30 p.m.

Pilots and safety experts say air traffic controllers did a good job when they quickly redirected an Aeromexico jet that was descending toward a runway where a Virgin America plane was getting ready to take off.

Officials say an Aeromexico passenger jet from Mexico City was ordered to abort a landing Tuesday after it lined up on a runway occupied by another commercial jet.

Retired airline captain and aviation safety expert John Cox Wednesday that he saw no cause for alarm.

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7:49 a.m.

An Aeromexico passenger jet was ordered to abort a landing at San Francisco International Airport after it lined up on a runway occupied by another commercial jet, the third close call at the busy airport in six months.

The San Jose Mercury News reports Aeromexico Flight 668 had been cleared to land Tuesday. It was about a mile from the airport when controllers saw the aircraft was lined up for a runway occupied by a Virgin America Airbus A320 jet awaiting departure.

The tower ordered the Aeromexico Boeing 737 jet to circle around until it was again cleared for landing.

An Air Canada flight crew landed in October on a runway despite repeated warnings to abort because a controller believed another airplane had not left the area yet.

In July, another Air Canada jet nearly landed on a taxiway where four planes were waiting before takeoff.